Belfast Improv Festival 2026 - Workshops

About this event

Improv Workshops from International Teachers Workshop costs are £40 half day/ £80 full day ALL = open to everyone with improv experience INT = participants should have 6 months of performance experience ADV = participants should have 1 year of performance experience .................. Sat 26th Sept (10am - 5pm) - 'Long-Form Clap-In' (ADV) Sat 26th Sept (10am - 5pm) - 'The Odyssey' (INT) .................. Sun 27th Sept (10am - 1pm) - 'Scenes about Nothing' (ALL) Sun 27th Sept (10am - 1pm) - 'The Biggest Loser' (INT) Sun 27th Sept (2pm - 5pm) - 'I Am Not Afraid To Exist' (ALL) Sun 27th Sept (2pm - 5pm) - 'The Hook and The Anchor' (ALL) Sun 27th Sept (2pm - 5pm) - 'To the Beat of a Different Drum' (ALL) .................. Mon 28th Sept (10am - 1pm) - 'The Power of Specificity' (ALL) ............................................................................... SATURDAY 'Long-Form Clap-In' - Navaris Darson Learn about Groundlings-style long-form improv! During this workshop, improvisers will play within the structure of The Groundlings’ Crazy Uncle Joe Show, exploring how to quickly generate ideas, make bold choices, heighten relationships, and successfully weave through multiple expanding storylines. 'The Odyssey' - Maro Lesioti Participants explore how the structure, themes, and poetic devices of "The Odyssey" can serve as tools for improvisers to build expansive, immersive worlds. By examining how the poem balances reality with myth, performers will learn to craft compelling narratives that stretch beyond conventional storytelling, embody heightened characters, and transport audiences into uncharted, imaginative realms. ............... SUNDAY 'Scenes About Nothing' - Bodei Brower Don't make it personal, don't build a relationship and whatever happens: no conflict! Scenes about nothing are wonderful palette cleansers in a busy show. In this workshop, Bodei will give you the 3 factors that make scenes about nothing some of the most entertaining scenes around. 'The Biggest Loser' - Navaris Darson Losers get the laugh! In this workshop, we’ll explore the improv principle of “choosing to lose” – including how to drive the comedy with character flaws; winning arguments by losing; and embracing negative labels as gifts and using them as gateways to specific character information. 'I Am Not Afraid To Exist' - Maro Lesioti This workshop explores the irreverent act of acceptance. Going beyond the mechanics of “yes, and,” this workshop invites participants to embrace themselves, without using acceptance as an excuse to overstep boundaries. Through exercises that cultivate trust and deep listening, they will practice saying “yes” to their identities. Freedom will be unlocked on stage and in life. 'The Hook and The Anchor' - Erica Maity The Hook and the Anchor: a simple method for creating characters that are unique and memorable. You'll learn to link characters to your own life experience (the anchor) to give them a clear point of view, lock them in with physicality and repetition (the hook), then send them off on autopilot, freeing up your own brain to connect with your scene partners and discover the moment. 'To the Beat of a Different Drum' - Betse Green This workshop invites you to explore the rhythms of speech, silence, and movement to create more dynamic and engaging scenes. We'll explore physicality, movement, and silence, and reframe challenges as opportunities for discovery. ............... MONDAY 'The Power of Specificity' - Navaris Darson Use specifics to deepen emotional commitment, make characters more vivid, and add richness and depth to scene work. Through various games and scenes, improvisers will practice using specificity to see how making specific choices makes their work more interesting and fun!